Spray painting fixture



Dec. 5, 1967 Filed Ma 16, 1966- C. G. MARTIN SPRAY PAINTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CLYDE G. MARTIN WMMA M allot-swayi- United States Patent M Ohio Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,460 2 Claims. (Cl. 118-301) The invention relates to a spray painting fixture for use in painting articles in manufacturing operations.

When'it is necessary to paint a particular area of an article in a manufacturing operation, it is customary to employ a mask that fits the article closely, exposes the areato be painted and covers the remainder of the article. The use of such a mask makes possible rapid spray painting of the article. The apparatus used in such a spray painting operation includes a frame in which the mask is precisely positioned, and a work holder which is movable relative to the mask so that after the article to be painted has been positioned precisely on the work holder, the article can be brought into proper engagement with the mask by moving the work holder toward the mask.

The spray masks which have been in use heretofore have been rectangular in shape, and the frames which have been employed for precisely positioning such a mask have been provided with grooves in which three edges of the mask have been fitted in order to support the mask. The operation of inserting three edges of a mask into grooves, however, has proved to be cumbersome and time consuming.

The principal object of the invention'is to provide a spray mask and supporting frame which are of improved construction so as to permit the mask to be inserted readily and quickly and to permit the mask to be adequately supported and precisely positioned after being inserted. More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of device embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation.

FIG. 3 is an exploded end elevation of the mounting for holding a mask.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mask.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting for holding a mask.

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the mask.

These specific drawings and the specific description that follows are intended to disclose and illustrate and not to limit the invention.

The spray painting apparatus shown in the drawings is supported upon two leg members 10, each of which rides upon two casters '11. Each of the leg members 10 consists of an X-shaped frame made by welding pieces of angle and including a horizontal angle 12 welded across the top of the leg member. The base portion of the fixture includes an inverted channel 13 beneath the ends of which are welded two transverse plates 1'4. Each of these transverse plates 14 is bolted to the horizontal angle 12 which forms the top portion of one of the leg members 10.

Secured to and depending from the channel 13 are two air cylinders 15. The pistons 16 which extend upward from the air cylinders support a work holder 17 that carries a work-supporting platform 18 provided with work-locating members which in the illustrated embodiment consist of four angles 19. Additional locating members may be provided when necessary to fit the article to be painted, so that when the article is placed upon the platform 18 it is held in a precise position. The platform 18 remains horizontal at all times, so that an article placed upon the platform is held in position by gravity.

3,356,070 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 ICC,

Secured to and depending from the work holder 17 are a pair of racks 20. The racks 20 mesh with a pair of gears 21 fixed on the two ends of a shaft 22 which is mounted in two bearings 23 each of which is secured to a plate 24 welded across the bottom of the inverted channel 13. This arrangement of racks and gears keeps the work holder 17 horizontal and prevents either of the piston rods 16 from moving faster than the other piston rod.

The assembly that carries the spray mask includes a pair of plates 25, each of which is bolted to a bracket 29 welded on top of the inverted channel 13.

Bolted to the inner face of each of the plates 25 is a guideway 30 which is provided on its inner side with a longitudinally extending groove 31. Each of the guideways 30 is welded at its rear end to angle 32 which connects the two guideways. The angle 32 and the two guideways 30 constitute a mounting for supporting a spray mask 33 which is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6.

In accordance with the invention, the spray mask is supported in a frame having a pair of inwardly directed parallel grooves, such as the grooves 31, for slidably receiving the side edges of the spray mask. However, there is no groove for receiving the rear edge of the spray mask, and there is provided instead an abutment, such as the vertical flange of the angle 32, which serves as a stop for limiting the rearward sliding movement of the mask in the grooves 31. This structure permits the mask to be located in its rearmost position by sliding the mask rearward in the grooves 31 until the mask comes in contact with the vertical flange of the angle 32. The mask 33 is provided along its front edge with 2. depending flange 34 to which are secured a pair of handles 35. These handles can be grasped by the operator in sliding the mask in the grooves 31.

In the practice of the present invention, the present mask is much less cumbersome to use than prior masks because it is not necessary to fit the rear edge of the present mask into a groove. The present mask is merely pushed rearward in the grooves 31 until it comes in contact with the abutment provided by the angle 32. Because the present mask is supported only by its side edges, and is not supported along its rear edge, the rear edge of the mask 33 is reinforced by providing a depending flange 36 which extends along substantially the entire rear edge of the mask. In order to permit the side edges of the mask 33 to enter the grooves 31, the depending flange 36 along the rear edge of the mask terminates short of both side edges.

It has been found that the depending flange 36, even though it terminates short of both side edges in order to permit the side edges to enter the grooves '31, provides adequate reinforcement to prevent the mask from sagging in the unsupported span between the grooves 31.

At the front end of each guideway 30, a portion of the guideway above the groove 31 is cut away to leave an exposed ledge 37, so that the rear corners of the mask 33 can be dropped onto the ledge 37 to place the mask in a position from which it can be slid readily into the grooves 31.

The angle 32 performs a dual function. The vertical flange of the angle 32 function-s as an abutment to limit the rearward sliding movement of the mask. When the mask is in its rearmost position, in contact with the vertical flange of the angle 32, the horizontal flange of the angle 32 overlies a portion of the mask and performs another function. Two blocks '38 are welded upon the upper side of the horizontal flange of the angle 32, and a bushing 39 extends through each of the blocks 38. When a mask is in its rearmost position in the grooves 31, in contact with the vertical flange of the angle 32, each bushing 39 and a corresponding hole 40 in the horizonal flange of the angle 32 are in alignment with a hole 41 in the mask 33. In order to secure the mask in position, a pin 42 is inserted by hand through each bushing 39 and the corresponding holes 40 and 41.

Also secured to the mask 33 are two plates 43, through each of which extends a relatively large bushing 44. The two bushings 44 constitute aligning apertures for receiving two aligning pins 45 which are mounted on the ends of the work holder 17 and which, when the work holder is raised by the air cylinders 15, enter the bushings 44 through relatively large holes provided in the mask 33 below the bushings 44.

The entry of the aligning pins 45 into the bushings 44 on the spray mask 33 performs the final precise alignment of the spray mask with the work on the platform 18 carried by the work holder 17. The final precise alignment performed by the aligning pins 45 corrects any misalignment which might otherwise occur because of slight bending or distortion of the assembly which carries the spray mask.

Whenever it is desired to raise the work holder 17 by means of the air cylinders 15, the air cylinders 15 are connected to a suitable supply of compressed air in order to admit compressed air to the spaces below the pistons in the air cylinders 15. During the spray painting operation the air cylinders 15 may remain connected to the compressed air supply, in order to hold the work tightly against the mask 33. When the article has been spray painted through the mask 33 and is to be removed from the fixture, the compressed air supply is disconnected from the air cylinders 15 and the air is permitted to escape into the atmosphere from the spaces below the pistons in the air cylinders, so as to permit the work holder 17 to descend under the influence of gravity.

The embodiments illustrated in the drawing may be modified when desired to meet various requirements.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A spray painting fixture comprising a frame having a pair of inwardly directed parallel grooves for slidably receiving the side edges of a spray mask, and having an abutment for limiting the rearward sliding movement of the mask in the grooves, in order to locate the mask in its rearmost position, said frame having a member which overlies a portion of the mask when the mask is in its rearmost position, a spray mask having parallel side edges which fit in the grooves, and a depending flange on the mask which extends along substantially the entire rear edge of the mask but terminates short of both side edges to permit both side edges to enter the grooves, said member and said mask being provided with apertures which are vertically aligned when the mask is in the rearmost position, and a pin positioned in said apertures for retaining the mask in such position.

2. A spray painting fixture as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mask has a depending flange along its front edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,745,767 5/1956 Auwarter 11849 XR 2,781,554 2/1957 Robinson.

2,976,188 3/1961 Kohl 11849 XR 2,977,930 4/1961 Grimone 118-504 XR 2,994,298 8/1961 Thomas 118500 3,100,723 8/1963 Weed 11849 XR 3,117,025 l/1964 Learn et al. 118504 XR 3,132,046 5/1964 Mann 118-49.1XR 3,312,572 4/1967 Norton 118-49 XR 3,315,637 4/1967 Taylor 118-504 XR CHARLES AQWILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. 1. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPRAY PAINTING FIXTURE COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF INWARDLY DIRECTED PARALLEL GROOVES FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING THE SIDE EDGES OF A SPRAY MASK, AND HAVING AN ABUTMENT FOR LIMITING THE REARWARD SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE MASK IN THE GROOVES, IN ORDER TO LOCATE THE MASK IN ITS REARMOST POSITION, SAID FRAME HAVING A MEMBER WHICH OVERLIES A PORTION OF THE MASK WHEN THE MASK IS IN ITS REARMOST POSITION, A SPRAY MASK HAVING PARALLEL SIDE EDGES WHICH FIT IN THE GROOVES, AND A DEPENDING FLANGE ON THE MASK WHICH EXTENDS ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE REAR EDGE OF THE MASK BUT TERMINATES SHORT OF BOTH SIDE EDGES TO PERMIT BOTH SIDE EDGES TO ENTER THE GROOVES, SAID MEMBER AND SAID MASK BEING PROVIDED WITH APERTURES WHICH ARE VERTICALLY ALIGNED WHEN THE MASK IS IN THE REARMOST POSITION, AND A PIN POSITIONED IN SAID APERTURES FOR RETAINING THE MASK IN SUCH POSITION. 